Dear Kern River Courier,

The Courier and Jack Bustamante not only "missed the boat" on this one, they didn't even get off the dock. (Jack Bustamante’s column, “Let’s Go Fishing”) in last week's Courier was totally inaccurate and way out of line. If Mr. Bustamonte wanted to champion his angry fishing friends he should have contacted the Fishing Derby for facts so he could have passed on reliable information.  I realize that his column is an "opinion" and that he is not a reporter who should be obligated to find out the facts before submitting his articles; however, if he wants to keep his credibility with his readers it would behoove him to follow that fact-finding procedure as well.  Fabricating what he believes does not make it fact.  A simple phone call to the derby chairman, whose name is definitely not a guarded secret and whose phone number is in the phone book, would have prevented this gross negligence of accountability and responsibility to the readers.

We have over 100 good people in this valley that “volunteer" their time to help the fishing derby.  Come rain, snow, wind or sunshine, you will find them down on the docks feeding the fish for the derby.  You have offended these volunteers and owe them and the Chamber an apology.  A great deal of "Chamber Dough" is spent each year to buy the 12,000 fish, the 10,300 pounds of food, replace and repair the nets and pens, etc. so that we can hold one the largest derbies in the country.  This derby brings revenue to your store, Mr. Bustamante.  

The Fishing Derby Committee is not responsible for stocking the lake at any time other than for the derby. The Department of Fish and Game is responsible for that.  The committee does plant trophy trout when money and resources permit doing so.  Trophy trout will again be released in the Lake this year before the derby. The "Trophy Trout" have not always arrived with the first load of fingerlings each year!  I believe this (column) is an attempt to cover up the 10/24 (column) printed in the Courier stating "Along with the derby trout a load of 3 to 5 pound lunkers will hitch a ride."  Again, I have no idea where the author got his information.

As far as this Thumper concept that Jack has been reporting, no one on the Fishing Derby Committee has ever heard of Thumper the fish.  After a great deal of research the only Thumper we are aware of is a cotton tail rabbit that hangs out with Bambi in a Disney movie – and he doesn't swim.  Again, a simple phone call would have cleared up this misconception as well.

Anyone who wants factual information about the Fishing Derby may call the chairman, Fred Roach.  My phone number is 223-0488!

Game Habitat Club in Jack Bustamante’s column, and if anyone feels slighted, we profusely apologize. Those folks do a wonderful job and we salute them. The fishing derby is a big deal to the valley.

In our defense, looking through the Courier’s archives, they show there is a history of these big lunkers arriving before Thanksgiving.

Jack  Bustamante has been writing the fishing column in the Courier for three years. Here are excerpts from some of his past November columns:

• Nov. 11, 2005:  “Remember, there will be a load of trophy trout delivered to Lake Isabella by Thanksgiving.”

• Nov. 17, 2006:  “Last week's trophy trout were planted from a barge in deep water; 1,000 pounds of lunkers hit the water in the channel halfway between French Gulch and Engineer Point, all the way up to Boulder Gulch.”

• Nov. 9, 2007: “Remember the big ones that I've been telling you about?  Well, they are in the lake. Along with the derby trout that were delivered  to French Gulch, 1,000 pounds of trophy trout were planted in the lake on  Monday. Alex Cordell had the catch and release of a lifetime while helping volunteers (see the picture) plant these beautiful lunker trout in the  middle of the lake. Where are these trophy trout going to show up first? Stop in and see me. I'll  give you my best guess.”

Mr. Roach says that lunker trout will be planted in January and again in March.

We definitely don’t want to make an enemy of Mr. Roach. In fact, we congratulate him for taking on the huge task of Isabella Lake Fishing Derby chairman.

The Courier will continue to promote the derby and publicize it in the Courier in a positive way as we always have.